Splint-stretcher



March 24, 1964 A. E. HALPERIN sPLINT-STRETCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 ffy United States Patent O 3,125,766 SPLlNT-STRETCHER Abraham E. Halperin, Brookline, Mass., assignor to A. E. Halperin Co., Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed lan. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,186 3 Claims. (Cl. 5-32) This invention relates to splint-stretchers for use in transporting an injured or helpless person, and the subject matter of this application is an improvement upon the splint-stretcher frame disclosed in Patent No. 2,417,378, dated March 1l, 1947.

The principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a compact, handy and easily portable litter frame comprising an assembly of parts which may be molded of aluminum or other light-weight metal and which may be easily assembled to provide a unitary splint-stretcher adapted to be adjusted in length, so that a person of any normal height may properly t the stretcher and be immobilized thereon for safe transport.

The assembled side frames of the improved stretcher are pivotally connected to each other at both ends, and at least one of the pivotal connections is readily separable, so that the side frames may be swung apart and then swung together beneath a prostrate or reclining person, without disturbing his position while he is being scissorloaded onto the stretcher.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to produce a splint-stretcher having extruded aluminum side frames which are normally spaced apart when the stretcher is closed, in order to support the sides of the torso without exerting pressure on the spine; which have wide and relatively thin body supporting surfaces of mutually converging inclination, and integral underlying, hollow ribs of greater thickness, adapted to support the stretcher when placed on the ground or floor, to provide skids on which the loaded stretcher may be slid over a surface, and to provide tubular channels for receiving the telescoping rods of extensible, lengthwise adjustable, leg-supporting portions of the side frames; and which are iixedly connected to cast aluminum, transverse hand grips or bars at the outer ends of the frame, the free ends of each pair of hand grips being pivotally connectable and at least one of the pivotal connections being readily separable, as aforesaid.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ilexible head rest which may be separably fastened to the end portions of the side frames, and which is provided with pockets for storing exible straps by which the torso may be firmly immobilized on the stretcher.

Additional features and advantages of the improved construction will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings; and such features will be pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings,

FIG. l is a plan View of the closed, telescoped splintstretcher, with the removable head rest and straps in place thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, looking to the left of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the side frames of the stretcher swung open, in extended position, with the head rest partly disconnected, and the straps stored therein;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a similar section on line 5-5 of FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6 6 of FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section on line 8-8 of FIG.

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1, showing the detachable, pivotal connection of the hand grips or bars at the foot end of the stretcher; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section on line 9-9 of FIG. 4.

In the recommended embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration, the improved splint-stretcher has complemental side frames, generally indicated at 11 and 12, both of substantially the same construction and configuration in reversed or mirror relationship. The two frame members are pivotally connected at the opposite ends of the stretcher, as indicated at 13 and 14 and as explained below, and said members are disposed in spaced parallel relation when so connected (FIG. l), so that they will support the side portions of a body placed on the stretcher. The connected frames are provided with means for supporting the head and legs of the torso, and the leg-supporting portions may be adjustably extended in length, so that the stretcher will conform to the height of the person placed and carried thereon.

As the two frame members are substantially identical, a description of one will suffice to explain the construction and operation of both. Side member 11 comprises a main torso-supporting frame 15 and an extendable, leg-supporting frame 16 have a projecting rod 18 slideable in a tubular channel 17 extending through the main frame, both frame portions being preferably formed of extruded aluminum; an inwardly bent bar 19 of cast aluminum rigidly attached to the outer end of a projecting extension 2t) of the main frame section 15, and serving as hand grip as well as a transverse connecting link at the head end of the stretcher; and a similar inwardly bent bar 21 attached to the outer end of frame section 16 and serving as a hand grip and a transverse connecting link at the foot of the stretcher.

Main frame section 15 has a smooth and relatively wide upper plate surface 22 which may be flat, slightly curved or slightly angular in transverse section, and which is preferably inclined downwardly and inwardly with respect to the transverse plane of the stretcher; and has an integral, relatively narrow reinforcing rib or underlying support 23 extending longitudinally of its lower surface, as best shown in FIG. 5. The rib 23 is of sufficient size to support the stretcher in slightly elevated position when the ribs rest on the ground or floor; and the tubular channel 18 extends through the rib, and, preferably, through the extension 20. The outer margin of the frame section 15 is provided with a row of punched-out openings 24 which reduce the weight of the frame and provide hand holes for carrying the stretcher; and the continuous outer edge of said margin is preferably thickened to provide a rounded hand-grip or bead 25.

The adjustably extendable frame section 16 has an inwardly projecting plate portion 26 for supporting a leg of the body placed on the stretcher, and said portion may be apertured at 27 for lightness and other purposes. The section 16 is preferably tubular to provide a socket for receiving one end of the rod 17 which is riveted at 28 or otherwise fastened in such socket. The transverse end bar 21 is similarly secured to the outer end of frame section 16, at 29. This type of attachment is indicated more clearly by FIGS. 6 and 7 which show a similar attachment for securing the transverse bar 19 to the extension 20 at the head of the stretcher. One end of the bar 19 is reduced at 30 to tit within the socket at the end of tubular rod 2t), and is fastened therein by a rivet 31.

The other end of grip bar 19 is rabbeted at 32 to overlap a complemental end of the bar 19 of the other side frame 12, as shown in FIG. 8. A bolt 33 extends through the overlapped ends to provide a pivotal connection, and a fastener such as the ball-shaped nut 34 is screwed on the threaded end of bolt 33 so that the bar ends are removably and pivotally connected together. The ball-nut preferably has a knurled band 35 for easy manual gripping when tightening or loosening the nut. A captive chain 36 suitably attached to bar 19 and the ball-nut 34 retains the detached nut for ready accessibility.

A similar attachment, comprising a second ball-nut 37, is employed for pivotally and removably connecting the transverse bars or hand grips 21 and 21' at the foot end of the stretcher. This connection is customarily detached when the side frames of the stretcher are to be diverged or swung outwardly to the position of FIG. 3, in order that a body lying on the ground, floor or other supporting surface may be scissor-loaded onto the stretcher by closing the side frames beneath the undisturbed torso.

The head and foot end portions of the stretcher are preferably inclined upwardly relative to the ribbed portion of the frame, so that said pivotal connections, and the hand grips at either side thereof, are readily accessible for convenient handling.

The position of longitudinally extendable frame section 16, relative to the main frame section 15, is adjusted by a thumb screw 38 which passes through the frame rib 23 and engages the telescoping rod 17. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the rib 23 has a rectangular socket 39 receiving a square steel nut 40 through which the locking screw 38 threads before engaging the rod 17; and the outer end of said socket is preferably plugged with a filler piece 41 of aluminum. The threads of the steel screw 40 have a much longer useful life than would threads tapped in the aluminum rib 23. The threaded shank ofthe thumb screw is preferably of cadmium plated brass, for the same reason; and the head of the screw may be retained by a captive chain 42 attached to the edge bead 25 of frame plate 15.

A flexible head rest 43 is removably applied to and between the tubular extensions 20 and 20 of the respective side frames 11 and 12. The head rest is preferably made of plastic, canvas or other flexible material and is provided with pockets 44 and 45 for receiving and storing folded straps 46 and 47 when the straps are not used to immobilize a torso on the stretcher. The head rest, as illustrated, has two folded layers of the flexible material and a hem near the fold line provides an end sleeve 48 which may be slipped over the hand grip or bar 19 and onto the extension 20. At the other end of the head rest, a ap 49 passes around the complemental bar 28 and is secured by separable fasteners 50, or the like, the flap 49 being reinforced by an underlying layer of flexible material 51, if desired. The storage pockets 44 and 45 are formed by spaced rows of stitching as indicated at 52 and 53 in FIG. 5. The retaining ap 43 is disconnected when the side frames of the stretcher are to be swung outwardly, as in FIG. 3.

1n useful application, the body-holding and immobilizing straps 46 and 47 are passed around the side beads and through complemental openings of the main frame sections of the closed side frames, and over the body, where they may be tightened by a conventional buckle; and strap 47 is similarly applied to the extendable frame section 16 and buckled over the legs, as indicated in FIG. 1. The torso or body is thus secured to the stretcher which acts as a splint in immobiiizing fractures while the body is placed on the stretcher and transported thereon; and the loaded splint-stretcher may be lifted or carried in any desired or necessary postion, even vertically, without harm to the patient, from the point of accident or injury to a home or hospital. The hand grips at the ends and sides of the stretcher provide comfortable hand holds for several attendants. The aluminum frame members may be anodized after assembly, so that the stretcher will withstand weather conditions indefinitely.

I claim:

1. A splint-stretcher comprising a body-supporting frame having a pair of complemental side members, means for pivotally connecting said side members at the head end and at the foot end of the frame, and at least one of said connecting means being readily separable so that the side members may be swung angularly with respect to each other on one of said pivotal connections; each side member comprising a main frame section having a relatively wide, transversely inclined, torso-supporting plate providing a smooth top surface, an integral, longitudinal, relatively narrow bottom rib, and a relatively narrow, integral, tubular extension projecting toward the head end of the frame, and an extendable legsupporting section; said rib having a tubular channel therethrough, and said leg-supporting section having a rod slideable in said channel; clamping means for holding said rod in adjusted postion in said channel; said side members being disposed in spaced parallel relation, when connected at both ends of the closed frame; and a head rest of exible material bridging the space between said tubular extensions of the main frame sections; said ribs projecting downwardly below said plates, said tubular extensions and said leg-supporting sections, whereby the stretcher is supported in elevated position when rested on a supporting surface.

2. A splint-stretcher as described in claim l, said rib having a rectangular slot adjacent and communicating with said channel at one end of the rib, and said clamping means comprising a nut disposed in said slot, and a screw threaded through said nut and bearing against the rod in said channel.

3. A splint-stretcher as described in claim l, said head rest being detachable and having pockets for storing straps adapted, in use, to hold the torso on the stretcher, one side of the head rest being detachably fastened to one ofthe side frames.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,524 Leffman July 25, 1905 2,417,378 Robinson Mar. 11, 1947 2,503,314 Atwood Apr. l1, 1950 2,677,159 Berg May 4, 1954 

1. A SPLINT-STRETCHER COMPRISING A BODY-SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF COMPLEMENTAL SIDE MEMBERS, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID SIDE MEMBERS AT THE HEAD END AND AT THE FOOT END OF THE FRAME, AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS BEING READILY SEPARABLE SO THAT THE SIDE MEMBERS MAY BE SWUNG ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER ON ONE OF SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS; EACH SIDE MEMBER COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME SECTION HAVING A RELATIVELY WIDE, TRANSVERSELY INCLINED, TORSO-SUPPORTING PLATE PROVIDING A SMOOTH TOP SURFACE, AN INTEGRAL, LONGITUDINAL, RELATIVELY NARROW BOTTOM RIB, AND A RELATIVELY NARROW, INTEGRAL, TUBULAR EXTENSION PROJECTING TOWARD THE HEAD END OF THE FRAME, AND AN EXTENDABLE LEGSUPPORTING SECTION; SAID RIB HAVING A TUBULAR CHANNEL THERETHROUGH, AND SAID LEG-SUPPORTING SECTION HAVING A ROD SLIDEABLE IN SAID CHANNEL; CLAMPING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID ROD IN ADJUSTED POSITION IN SAID CHANNEL; SAID SIDE 